Buffalohttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/conferences/mac/buffalo
The taxonomy view with a depth of 0.enAfternoon Upsets in the Big South: Wednesday's Quick Hittershttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/afternoon-upsets-big-south-wednesdays-quick-hitters-169846
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<i>The biggest development on Wednesday night were the wins picked up by Cincinnati, Colorado State and USF, as all three <b><a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/colorado-state-usf-and-cincinnati-notch-needed-wins-169845" title="Colorado State, USF and Cincinnati notch needed wins" target="_blank">strengthened their arguments</a></b> for an NCAA tournament bid.</i>
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<b>1. Two of the top three seeds in the Big South saw their seasons come to an end in the quarterfinals. </b><br />
The beginning of an almost nonstop afternoon basketball got underway on Wednesday, and from an upset standpoint the Big South certainly didn't disappoint. But if you're a fan of either Coastal Carolina or Campbell it wasn't a good day, as both saw their seasons come to an end (unless selected for a postseason tournament) despite entering the conference tournament as the two and three seeds. CCU ran into a VMI team that got hot from three, knocking down 14 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc on the way to an 85-68 victory. Starters Keith Gabriel (20 points) and Stan Okoye (15) played well, but the 17-point outing from Jordan Weethee (5-6 3PT) off the bench was just as important. CCU didn't help themselves by turning the ball over 16 times either.
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As for Campbell turnovers were a problem for them as well in their 71-55 loss to six-seeded Winthrop. The Camels turned the ball over 16 times to just eight for the Eagles, who are looking to rid themselves of the bad taste left in their mouths following a disappointing regular season. Campbell also couldn't slow down Reggie Middleton, who scored a game-high 25 points (5-10 3PT) and dished out four assists to lead the way for Winthrop. Darren White led Campbell with 15 points but no other Campbell player reached double figures, and when combined with the turnovers that proved to be too much to overcome. On the other side of the bracket top seed UNC Asheville and four-seed Charleston Southern advanced, and the key for UNCA at this point is to remain focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about how the bottom half of the bracket opened up. Do that and Eddie Biedenbach's team could make a return trip to the Big Dance.
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<b>2. Miami follows up their big win over Florida State with...a loss at NC State.</b><br />
What the Hurricanes have done over the last four days is exactly why concrete verdicts shouldn't be rendered in regards to the tournament prospects of teams based on one game. On Sunday Jim Larranaga's team looked very good as they beat Florida State with Reggie Johnson out of the lineup. But with Johnson back the Hurricanes were unable to build on the positive momentum as they fell to the Wolfpack 77-73. And if not for their 22 offensive rebounds the margin of defeat could have been even larger for Miami, who shot just 35.6% from the field while NC State made half of their field goal attempts.
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C.J. Leslie led four NC State players in double figures with 21 points while also grabbing 11 boards as the Pack snapped their four-game losing streak. Rion Brown led the Hurricanes with 15 points off the bench but with Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott shooting a combined 6-for-24 from the field Miami couldn't counter NC State scoring 43 second-half points. With a home game against Boston College being the regular season finale, it's likely that Miami will need to make some noise in the ACC tournament to further state their case.
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<b>3. It was also a bad night for bubble teams in the Atlantic 10 as both Dayton and Saint Joseph's fell. </b><br />
One day after Xavier fell hard at Saint Louis two more teams suffered defeats that could have the A-10 sliding toward being a two-bid league. Phil Martelli's Hawks were unable to build on their win over Temple in Olean as they fell to St. Bonaventure 98-93 in double overtime. Andrew Nicholson, who is a candidate for A-10 Player of the Year, scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Bonnies to a win that locked up a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. The Hawks got themselves in trouble by getting out-rebounded 49-30, with the Bonnies grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.
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As for the Flyers, their loss was even more damaging as they fell 82-71 at Richmond. Darien Brothers led the Spiders with 30 points and Kendall Anthony added 20 off the bench as Richmond dropped Dayton into a three-way tie for sixth. Chris Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Dayton, who was outscored 19-9 at the charity stripe. Richmond held the edge in bench points (29-15) thanks in large part to Anthony, and they were also able to score 21 second-chance points to just 13 for the Flyers. A win over George Washington won't do much for Dayton's profile and Saint Joseph's regular season is done, meaning that both are looking at the prospect of likely needing the automatic bid to go dancing.
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<i>Quick Hitters </i>
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1. The top two seeds took the floor in the Atlantic Sun quarters, and while <b>Mercer</b> had to work a bit harder than anticipated both the Bears and <b>Belmont</b> advanced. Jake Gollon led Mercer to their 61-53 win over Lipscomb with 19 points and eight rebounds, and as a team the Bears made up for committing twice as many turnovers (16) as Lipscomb by making nine three-pointers. Belmont beat Jacksonville 76-62 behind Kerron Johnson's 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.
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2. Three of the four quarterfinals in the Patriot League went according to seed on Wednesday. The lone exception: <b>Lafayette</b>'s 84-76 win at Holy Cross in the 4/5 game. Rob Delaney (25 points) and Jim Mower (18) combined to score 43 points for the Leopards, who will visit top-seed Bucknell in the semifinals on Saturday.
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3. Mitchell Watt scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to <b>Buffalo</b> to a 74-70 win at Akron in a key MAC battle. The win moves the Bulls to within a game of the Zips for first place in the MAC East with one game remaining, and just as importantly they're a game up on Ohio in the race for second place.
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4. Sheldon McClellan scored 24 points and J'Covan Brown 22 as <b>Texas</b> avoided what would have been a rough loss to have on their resume, as they beat Oklahoma 72-64 in Austin. The Longhorns end the regular season with a trip to Kansas, and an upset in Lawrence would undoubtedly punch their ticket.
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5. Brian Williams scored all 18 of his points in the second half, and his three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave <b>Jacksonville State</b> the lead for good in their 75-70 win over Austin Peay in an OVC first round matchup. In the other OVC tournament game <b>Southeast Missouri State</b> beat Eastern Kentucky 75-65.
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6. A rough run through WCC play mercifully came to an end for <b>Santa Clara</b> in Las Vegas as they fell 74-70 to Portland in the first round of the WCC tournament. Losing Marc Trasolini on the preseason trip to Canada with a torn ACL was hard enough to deal with, but once Kerry Keating had to suspend Kevin Foster the Broncos seemed destined for a winless league campaign.
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7. <b>Northwestern</b> had a golden opportunity to pick up a signature win, but Jared Sullinger's bucket in the final seconds gave Ohio State the 75-73 win in Evanston. Drew Crawford and John Shurna combined to lead the Wildcats with 45 points but that wasn't enough as the Buckeyes had four players put up double figures. The Northwestern storyline is going to be one of the interesting stories to keep an eye on in Indianapolis next week.
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http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/afternoon-upsets-big-south-wednesdays-quick-hitters-169846#commentsBelmontBuffaloCampbellCoastal CarolinaDaytonGame RecapsJacksonville StLafayetteMercerNorthwesternSanta ClaraSEMOSt Joseph&#039;sTexasyour commentaryConference TournamentsWed, 29 Feb 2012 23:14:27 -0800Raphielle Johnson169846 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comWright's Buzzer-Beater Propels George Mason: Tuesday's Recaphttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/wrights-buzzer-beater-propels-george-mason-tuesdays-recap-169728
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With 1:22 remaining VCU and George Mason were tied at 51 in a hotly-contested, defensive-minded affair. There were no easy shots to be found in the matchup of two of the three teams that entered Tuesday's action tied for first in the CAA. That's where the real fun began, with the Rams and Patriots combining to score 21 points in that final 1:22 to cap an outstanding matchup. The difference wasn't so much what one team did wrong but rather what one did right. Sherrod Wright.
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Wright's <a href="http://deadspin.com/5885303/george-mason-won-on-a-buzzer+beating-three+pointer-too" title="Sherrod Wright game-winner" target="_blank"><b>25-footer</b></a> as time expired gave the Patriots the 62-61 win, moving them to 14-2 in the CAA and keeping them tied for first place with Drexel. A Bradford Burgess three with 1:20 remaining kicked off the scoring and a pair of Briante Weber free throws with 43 seconds remaining gave VCU a 56-51 lead. George Mason would respond with a Ryan Pearson three, and at that stage it was about extending the game for Paul Hewitt's team. There was one small issue, however: VCU took care of business from the foul line.
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Shaka Smart's Rams would make seven of eight free throws in the final 43 seconds, and after two more Weber free throws made the score 60-56 with just over 11 seconds to go it was clear that the Patriots would need a three. Enter Vertail Vaughns, whose bonus shot cut the lead to one just seconds later, and the margin would grow to two with 3.8 seconds to go. 94 feet to go for George Mason, a distance covered by Wright's dribbling up the floor and game-winner.
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&quot;I'm sure we can watch the tape and nitpick and say 'well we should have pressured the ball a little bit more or we should have cotested a little bit more,'&quot; said Smart. &quot;But the reality is that Sherrod Wright made a phenomenal shot and he's a very good player.
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Within the game it was Pearson who separated himself from the pack, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds as VCU struggled with finding a way in which to slow him down. The issue for George Mason was the foul trouble that Mike Morrison encountered, severely limiting his impact on the game. Burgess and Troy Daniels scored 13 apiece to lead VCU, who also had a big man struggle albeit in a different way. Juvonte Reddic shot 1-for-8 from the field and scored four points, and on a night that saw Morrison struggle for Mason a better performance from the sophomore big man would have helped.
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With two conference games left there's still a lot to be decided in the CAA race, and the fact that VCU gets a rematch on their floor to end the regular season will help the Rams when it comes to possibly winning a share (at least) of the title. And if that matchup on February 25th is anything like Round One, college basketball fans should consider themselves lucky.
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<i>Other Notable Happenings </i>
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<b>1. Hank Thorns burns his hometown school and leads TCU past #11 UNLV. </b><br />
There were more than a few people who may have expected Wednesday's game between New Mexico and San Diego State to be a battle for a share of first place in the Mountain West, with it being a mere formality that UNLV would win at TCU. But the Horned Frogs had other ideas, specifically point guard and Las Vegas native Hank Thorns, as they beat the Runnin' Rebels 102-97 in a wild overtime affair. TCU had chance to win the game in regulation but an extra pass on the fast break (the proper basketball play in most instances) prevented the Frogs from getting their shot off in time. However that wouldn't stop TCU from completing their comeback from an 18-point second half deficit, and just as important as Thorns' scoring was TCU's work on the glass.
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TCU out-rebounded UNLV 46-31 and their 19 offensive rebounds were a season high for a UNLV opponent. TCU only scored 19 second-chance points but that was more than enough when compared to UNLV's eight. J.R. Cadot (five offensive boards; 16 points and 12 rebounds) and Amric Fields (four offensive boards; 17 points and seven rebounds) were a problem for UNLV in that regard, and those second chances can add up over the course of a game. With the race at the top of the Mountain West being as tight as it is losses to teams outside of the top three could prove costly in the end. This makes Saturday's game at New Mexico even more important for Dave Rice's bunch.
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<b>2. Cleveland State continues their trend in the wrong direction as they fall at Milwaukee. </b><br />
Just over a week ago Gary Waters' Vikings looked to be on their way to at the least a top two seed in the Horizon League tournament, which would advance them directly to the semifinals. But Cleveland State has now dropped three in a row to fall to 10-5 in league play, most recently losing 86-84 at Milwaukee on Tuesday night. As a result both Butler and Detroit trail Cleveland State by just a game in the loss column, meaning that the Vikings need to get things turned around quickly with three league games remaining. CSU played well offensively against the Panthers, shooting 60.9% from the field and 47.1% from three. But they were outscored by 15 points from three (39-24) and 13 from the foul line (33-20), which allowed Milwaukee to make up for their 7-for-17 night from inside of the arc. Tony Meier was fouled on a three-pointer with just over a second remaining and the score tied at 84, and he made two of three to provide the final margin. James Haarsma scored 25 to lead the victors and Trevon Harmon led Cleveland State with 27.
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<b>3. Both #22 Virginia and #23 Mississippi State fall on the road. </b><br />
Neither Clemson nor LSU are likely to reach the NCAA tournament given their current records, but that doesn't mean they can't make things difficult for other teams within their respective conferences. Clemson was able to pull away from #22 Virginia in the second half, outscoring the Cavaliers 36-24 on their way to a 60-48 victory. The problem for Virginia was that they had just two scorers, as Jontel Evans (17 points) and Mike Scott (13) led the way. Joe Harris, who broke a bone in his non-shooting hand in Saturday's loss at North Carolina, scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting and Sammy Zeglinski shot the same in scoring three. Those two will need to be better down the stretch if Tony Bennett's team is to go into postseason play with any kind of momentum.
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As for LSU, Anthony Hickey's shot in the final seconds of overtime propelled them to a 69-67 win over Mississippi State in Baton Rouge. Ralston Turner led four Tigers in double figures with 17 points and Storm Warren added ten points and 11 rebounds off the bench, and LSU made up for a 43-32 rebounding disadvantage by racking up 15 steals and forcing 21 Mississippi State turnovers. Dee Bost led four Mississippi State players in double figures with 15 points but he (five turnovers) and Arnett Moultrie (six) combined for 11 of the 21 turnovers, a number that's too high to get away with especially on the road.
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<i>Quick Hitters</i>
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1. Anthony Raffa scored 20 points, leading four <b>Coastal Carolina</b> players in double figures as the Chanticleers beat <b>UNC Asheville</b> 74-69. The Bulldogs have already clinched the regular season title in the Big South but both CCU and Campbell are capable of knocking them off. While Matt Dickey (19 points) shot 6-for-12 from the field backcourt mates J.P. Primm (12 points) and Chris Stephenson (four points) shot a combined 7-for-26 on the night.
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2. The battle behind Akron in the East Division of the MAC has been magnified in importance due to the league's move to seed one through twelve without regard to divisions. And with the top two seeds getting byes to the semifinals of the conference tournament it was critical that <b>Kent State</b> beat Buffalo, and they did by the final of 76-71. Justin Green led the Golden Flashes with 18 points and Micheal Porrini scored 14 in the second half, pulling Kent State into a tie with Buffalo for second place at 9-3.
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3. Not only could <b>Manhattan</b>'s chances of winning the MAAC be slipping away, but their hopes in the conference tournament may have taken a hit as well in their 70-64 loss at Siena. Starting point guard Michael Alvarado went down with an injury in the first half, one that head coach Steve Masiello stated could be a concussion and possible fracture of his eye socket according to <a href="http://nycbuckets.com/2012/02/manhattan-loses-to-siena-bigger-loss-is-alvarado/" title="Bigger loss is Alvarado" target="_blank"><b>Big Apple Buckets</b></a>. To say that would be a big loss for the Jaspers would be accurate if he's out for an extended period.
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4. <b>Creighton</b> ended their three-game losing streak with the greatest offensive performance in school history, shooting 75% in their 88-69 win at <b>Southern Illinois</b>. Doug McDermott led four starters in double figures with 18 points and Ethan Wragge added 15 off the bench for the Bluejays, who host Long Beach State on Saturday. As for the Salukis, this is just another sign of just how far things have fallen in Carbondale.
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5. Part of the battle in getting to the NCAA tournament is making sure you don't lose the game you're supposed to win, so in that regard the wins by <b>Texas</b> (69-58 at Oklahoma) and <b>Seton Hall</b> (94-64 over St. John's) should be noted. While the focus centers on &quot;marquee wins&quot; when discussing resumes, the more teams can do to make sure they don't have &quot;bad losses&quot; the better.
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6. Jared Sullnger and William Buford both bounced back from tough evenings in #6 <b>Ohio State</b>'s loss to Michigan State to lead the Buckeyes past Minnesota by the final score of 78-68. Buford scored a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists, and Sullinger finished with 23 and eight caroms.
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<i>Three Notable Performances</i>
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<b>1. G Jake Odum (Indiana State)</b><br />
34 points (8-12 FG, 17-21 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists in the Sycamores' 83-77 overtime win over Illinois State.
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<b>2. G Hank Thorns (TCU)</b><br />
32 points (8-12 3PT), five rebounds and four assists in the Horned Frogs' 102-97 overtime win over #11 UNLV.
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<b>3. F Robert Covington (Tennessee State)</b><br />
28 points and 12 rebounds in the Tigers' 69-64 overtime win over Jacksonville State.
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http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/wrights-buzzer-beater-propels-george-mason-tuesdays-recap-169728#commentsBuffaloClemsonCleveland StCoastal CarolinaCreightonGame RecapsGeorge MasonKent StLSUManhattanMississippi StNC AshevilleOhio StSeton HallSherrod WrightSouthern IllinoisTCUTexasUNLVUWMVCUVirginiayour commentaryWed, 15 Feb 2012 08:05:09 -0800Raphielle Johnson169728 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comTuesday Recap: Travel Issues, Cowboys Can't Derail San Diego Statehttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/tuesday-recap-travel-issues-cowboys-cant-derail-san-diego-state-169618
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It's been an interesting couple of days in college basketball when it comes to travel issues, with Purdue having to bus to Michigan State in the early hours of Saturday for a noon tip. While the Boilermakers hung tough in the first half they lost their legs in the second as the Spartans rolled. So what was going to happen to San Diego State, whose trek to Laramie for an important Mountain West game against Wyoming took 20 hours, not to mention the fact that they'd be playing more than 7,000 feet above sea level? The Aztecs seemed to find their second wind in the second half, opening the stanza on a 16-4 run on their way to the 52-42 win.
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SDSU shot 57.1% from the field in the second half while limiting the Cowboys to 7-for-27, and their defense helped make up for 19 turnovers that Wyoming was able to convert into 18 points. Chase Tapley and Jamaal Franklin scored 12 points apiece for San Diego State, who remains a game ahead of UNLV with a 4-0 league mark, and Franklin also grabbed eleven rebounds (unfortunately he was three turnovers away from a triple-double).
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Leonard Washington (12 points, eight rebounds) and Luke Martinez (11 points) led the way for the Pokes, who have dropped two conference home games (New Mexico before this) and are still in search of a marquee win to add to their resume. Foul trouble short-circuited Wyoming in the first half but they were able to hang close, trailing 25-22 at the break. But their offensive struggles coming out of the gates in the second half proved to be the difference.
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&quot;They played very good position defense, but they didn't pressure us other than for a few possessions when JayDee [Luster] was out,&quot; remarked Wyoming head coach Larry Shyatt. &quot;They are a tough, competitive group of kids, and they have an arrogance where they expect to win. All good teams have that.&quot;
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Given the fact that there were just 58 possessions in the game neither team was all that great at taking care of the basketball, combining for 34 turnovers on the night. San Diego State made the most of the possessions they were able to get through without turning the ball over, shooting 51.2% from the field and 45.5% from three. Both teams made five three-pointers on the night, but SDSU only attempted 11 to Wyoming's 22. The Cowboys attempted eight more field goals and six more free throws but it was they who looked to be the team that spent 20 hours on the road, and that's a credit to Steve Fisher, his staff and most importantly the players.
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&quot;It had no impact on the game at all, in my opinion,&quot; said Fisher of the travel issues. &quot;We've had problems in Laramie my thirteen trips in here. It's a hard place to play and win. To come in here and get a win, I'm very appreciative, and do believe we earned it.&quot;
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<i>Other Notable Happenings</i>
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<b>1. Michigan hangs on to beat Purdue in West Lafayette. </b><br />
It's safe to say that Michigan didn't get off to a good start at Arkansas on Saturday afternoon, but to their credit the Wolverines fought back before falling short 66-64. No such beginning on Tuesday night for Michigan, but they needed a missed Robbie Hummel three in the final seconds to beat Purdue 66-64 in West Lafayette. Tim Hardaway Jr. led four Michigan players in double figures with 19 points and forwards Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz combined for 22 points in the win.
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Michigan wasn't as reliant on the three-point shot as they normally are in their system, attempting 14 (making six). But that's fine when they're able to find enough good shots from two to shoot 58.3% inside of the arc. Purdue on the other hand shot 9-for-26 from deep, and Hummel and Lewis Jackson combined to score 33 of their 64 points. With the win Michigan remains atop the Big Ten standings with a 6-2 mark, and if they can get play like this from Morgan and Smotrycz on a consistent basis they'll remain a contender for the Big Ten title.
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<b>2. Baylor bounces back from an 0-2 week by winning at Oklahoma. </b><br />
It was a tough week for Scott Drew's Bears but that was understandable given the fact that they were playing a Top 10 team on the road (Kansas) and a Top 5 team at home (Missouri). The issue came in how they lost especially when considering rebounding, and while Oklahoma still managed to grab 12 offensive rebounds they weren't able to fully take advantage. Perry Jones III scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Baylor to the 77-65 win, with Oklahoma's poor three-point shooting (3-for-12) also playing a role in the outcome.
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Baylor on the other hand made nine of their eighteen shots from beyond the arc, and when combined with a 14-for-17 night from the charity stripe it isn't too difficult to figure out why the 12 offensive boards allowed wasn't a killer. Pierre Jackson scored 16 points and dished out seven assists but also had six of Baylor's 12 turnovers, but the Sooners only scored 12 points off of those turnovers. Romero Osby scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Steven Pledger scored 17 to lead Oklahoma, who dropped to 2-5 in league play with the defeat.
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<b>3. Texas picks up a key win over Iowa State to split the season series. </b><br />
Fred Hoiberg's Cyclones have made their way into the NCAA Tournament discussion with their play throughout the season but they let a good opportunity slip through their fingers with a 72-65 loss at Texas. A win would have given the Cyclones a sweep of the season series, and if both teams were to end up on the bubble that would be a nice line to have on their resume. What makes the defeat even more painful is that Texas won despite J'Covan Brown shooting 3-for-16 from the field.
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Myck Kabongo led the Longhorns with 13 points and Julien Lewis chipped in with 12 and seven rebounds, giving Texas a much-needed home win as their next two games are at Baylor and home against Missouri. Iowa State shot just 33.3% from the field and 5-for-21 from three, and starters Scott Christopherson and Chris Allen combined to make just two of their fourteen shots from the field. Iowa State will have plenty of good opportunities for resume-building wins between now and March, but this defeat may put a little more pressure on them to split their next two games (home against Kansas and Kansas State).
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<p>
<i>Quick Hitters</i>
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1. Despite 25 points and nine rebounds from Ball State's Jarrod Jones, <b>Akron</b> won 70-58 in Muncie to remain in sole possession of first place in the MAC East. Quincy Diggs and Brian Walsh scored 16 points apiece to lead the Zips and Alex Abreu added 12 on four three-pointers.
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2. <b>Kentucky</b> forward Anthony Davis moved to third on the list of most blocked shots in a single season in SEC history, blocking five shots to move his total to 98 in the Wildcats' 57-44 win at Georgia. Darius Miller scored 19 points off the bench and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 14 and 11 rebounds as Kentucky moved to 6-0 in conference play.
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3. In Nashville, <b>Vanderbilt</b> blitzed Tennessee early on their way to a 65-47 win as Jeffery Taylor led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals. John Jenkins added 16 as the Commodores were able to win in comfortable fashion in spite of Festus Ezeli's ejection for a flagrant 2 foul in the first half.
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4. With two of their next three games being road contests against ranked teams, there was some thought that we'd find out how good <b>USF</b> is. The first game didn't go well for the Bulls as they fell 67-47 at #18 Marquette. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick led the Bulls with 19 points and ten rebounds but as a team USF shot 35.6% from the field and turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 20 Marquette points.
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5. If Jim Larranaga's <b>Miami</b> team is to make a run at a spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble they need to avoid stubbing their toe against teams they're expected to beat in the ACC. That was the case on Tuesday as the Hurricanes beat Georgia Tech 64-49 thanks in large part to 21 points and eight rebounds from Kenny Kadji. Miami needs to take care of business against Boston College and Maryland ahead of their trip to Duke on February 5th.
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6. While <b>Buffalo</b> does have one of the country's most underrated players in Javon McCrea, they've also got another solid forward by the name of Mitchell Watt. Watt scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds to compliment McCrea's 17 points as the Bulls beat Eastern Michigan 67-47 to remain a game behind Akron in the MAC East.
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<i>Three Notable Performances </i>
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<b>1. F/C Will Davis II (UC Irvine)</b><br />
21 points (9-10 FG), ten rebounds and five blocks in the Anteaters' 78-67 win over Seattle.
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<b>2. F Perry Jones III (Baylor) </b><br />
21 points and 12 rebounds in the Bears' 77-65 win at Oklahoma.
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<b>3. F Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt) </b><br />
23 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the Commodores' 65-47 win over Tennessee.
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http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/tuesday-recap-travel-issues-cowboys-cant-derail-san-diego-state-169618#commentsAkronBaylorBig 12BuffaloGame RecapsIowa StKentuckyMarylandMichiganOklahomaPurdueSan Diego StSouth FloridaTexasVanderbiltWyomingyour commentaryWed, 25 Jan 2012 07:35:51 -0800Raphielle Johnson169618 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comJon Teitel's "Coaching Greats" Series: Buffalo's Reggie Witherspoonhttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/jon-teitels-coaching-greats-series-buffalos-reggie-witherspoon-169604
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In the latest installment in his &quot;Coaching Greats&quot; interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel caught up with current University at Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon, who has won 174 games in more than a decade at his hometown school. Witherspoon also played two season at Erie Community College under current Michigan head coach John Beilein, and this season's UB squad features one of the best players in the MAC in forward Javon McCrea.
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<b>Jon Teitel: At Erie CC you played for Coach John Beilein. What was it like to play for him, and what made him such a great coach? </b>
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<b>Reggie Witherspoon:</b> It was great playing for John and was a terrific learning experience for me. One of the things he emphasized was balance. In my second year playing for him we had six guys scoring in double figures. He also emphasizes shooting. He wants you to be able to shoot the ball very well.
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<b>JT: At Wheeling Jesuit you played for Coach Jim O'Brien. What was it like to play for him, and what made him such a great coach? </b>
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<p>
<b>RW:</b> The year before he took over the team won only three games, but in his first year with us we won 17. It was terrific being a part of that turnaround because I learned a LOT of stuff that I still use now. He really emphasized defense. Play hard and block out...he really emphasized blocking out.
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: You were the first African-American head coach of any varsity sports team in the Western NY Suburban School District. How big a deal was it at the time, and how has the school district worked on diversity since then? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW:</b> It was written about at the time and seemed to make a few people uncomfortable, but for the most part I think it was well-received. I did not realize it until after it was brought to my attention by a reporter. There are still not a lot of African-American coaches at the high school level in suburban schools, but there are a few. The diversity in the makeup of the students has change dramatically, so slowly it has increased the diversity in the schools.
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: You spent five years as head coach at Sweet Home High School, where you won four straight division titles. How were you able to come in and be so successful in such a short time span, and why did you decide to leave to become coach at your alma mater? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW:</b> I was there for eight years as an assistant prior to becoming head coach, which I think certainly helped because I had a feel for the kids that were in the program. I graduated from Sweet Home so I had a feel for the school district and the tradition that it had. We had a very good staff in place and it created more of a program than a team. The kids would have a pretty good understanding of the way we did things by the time they got to the varsity level. Erie CC called frequently during my 13 years at Sweet Home. After a while it felt like they were ready to take on the challenge of competing at the next level, and it was a challenge that I wanted to embrace.
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: You became coach at Buffalo in 1999 after a staff turnover due to rules violations. Were you concerned that it would take a long time to rebuild, and what is the key to rebuilding a program in such a situation? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW:</b> I knew that it would take quite a while. #1: get the right people in. #2: we had sanctions and a lot of restrictions from the NCAA so we did not want to take any shortcuts, which I think in the long run has helped us. Our initial concern was to stabilize the program, and in the long haul we wanted to attract good student-athletes to our program. There was concern that it would take a while, which it did.
</p>
<p>
<i>2005 Postseason NIT</i>
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: MAC POY Turner Battle made a shot with two seconds left in regulation en route to a five-point overtime win over Drexel. How exciting was it to hang on for the win? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW: </b>That 2005 team was just a great team. It was a great experience for the school to get into the postseason, be a part of the NIT and have a home NIT game. We had a terrific game at home against Drexel after coming off an emotional loss to Ohio.
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: Pat Carroll scored 26 points in a five-point win for eventual runner-up Saint Joseph's. How close did you come to winning that game? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW:</b> I thought that we would get a home game after the win over Drexel but instead we had to go to St. Joe's. They were a terrific team and it was a fight right down to the end.
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: In 2009 you were named MAC Coach of the Year. What did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW:</b> It was humbling that my peers would think that much of me but it was not just me. It was an award that the players played the biggest part in, and then the staff, and then me. It was a real honor.
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: In 2010 you were an assistant coach under Jeff Capel on the USA Men's U-18 National Team that won a gold medal at the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship. What did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and which player impressed you the most (Austin Rivers, Quincy Miller, other)? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW:</b> Having a FIBA gold medal is an honor that I will never forget. It was a great learning experience working with Paul Hewitt and Jeff. The entire USA Basketball staff was such a first-class organization and we had a lot of very impressive young men.
</p>
<p>
<b>JT: When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? </b>
</p>
<p>
<b>RW:</b> I just want to be remembered(!), hopefully as someone who cared about his players. When my players look back I want them to understand that I was someone who really cared about them, and the door is always open when they come back. <br />
<br />
<i>Witherspoon is also on Jon's list of best coaches in MAC history. </i>
</p>
<p>
<i><b>Akron: Keith Dambrot (2004-present) </b>174-82, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles</i><br />
<b>Ball State: Ray McCallum (1993-2000) </b>126-76, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles<br />
<b>Bowling Green: Harold Anderson (1942-1963)</b> 362-185, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles<br />
<i><b>Buffalo: Reggie Witherspoon (1999-present)</b> 174-203, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY</i><br />
<b>Central Michigan: Dick Parfitt (1972-1985)</b> 178-168, 2 NCAA tourneys, 2 conference titles, 1-time conference COY<br />
<b>Eastern Michigan: Ben Braun (1985-1996) </b>185-132, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 3-time conference COY<br />
<b>Kent State: Jim Christian (2002-2008)</b> 137-59, 2 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 2-time conference COY<br />
<i><b>Miami (OH): Charlie Coles (1996-present) </b>262-217, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 1-time conference COY</i><br />
<b>Northern Illinois: John McDougal (1976-1986)</b> 136-141, 1 NCAA tourney, 1 conference title, 1-time conference COY<br />
<b>Ohio: James Snyder (1949-1974)</b> 354-245, 7 NCAA tourneys, 7 conference titles, 2-time conference COY<br />
<b>Toledo: Bob Nichols (1965-1987) </b>375-213, 3 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 3-time conference COY<br />
<b>Western Michigan: Herbert &quot;Buck&quot; Read (1922-1949)</b> 345-169 <br />
</p>
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/jon-teitels-coaching-greats-series-buffalos-reggie-witherspoon-169604#commentsBuffaloCoaching GreatsInterviewsMACSun, 22 Jan 2012 15:46:43 -0800Jon Teitel169604 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comWednesday Recap: Kilpatrick Lifts Cincinnati Past UConnhttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/wednesday-recap-kilpatrick-lifts-cincinnati-past-uconn-169588
<p>
Following Shabazz Napier's game-tying three-pointer most coaches
would choose to call a timeout to draw up a play, risking the chance of
the defense aligning and taking away the primary scoring option. But
with the man he wanted to take the final shot already in possession of
the basketball, Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin decided against
calling a timeout and as a result his Bearcats are now 5-1 in the Big
East. Sean Kilpatrick, who led five Cincinnati players in double figures
with 16 points, knocked down a three with 2.7 seconds remaining to give
the Bearcats the 70-67 victory.
</p>
<p>
&quot;I was watching just to make
sure he or Dion [Dixon] had the ball,&quot; said Cronin of their final
offensive sequence. &quot;It's to the point with both of those guys with
their ability to score off the dribble, and make shots. If he would have
hesitated, I would have called a timeout.&quot;
</p>
<p>
Napier led all
scorers with 27 points and Jeremy Lamb added 14 to go along with eight
rebounds and five assists despite Jim Calhoun not thinking much of his
performance, but UConn was done in by the fact that they didn't receive
much from their frontcourt despite playing a team that's made its living
of late by playing small. Starting forwards Andre Drummond and Alex
Oriakhi combined for just six points and twelve rebounds, while reserves
Roscoe Smith and Tyler Olander added a combined eight points and seven
rebounds off the bench. UConn grabbed 44% of their missed shots but due
to the lack of production inside the Huskies were unable to take
advantage of the edge they had on paper entering the contest.
</p>
<p>
&quot;When
you start the game with a 6-10, 280 pound guy, and another guy 6-9, 245
pounds, and they can't rebound, or you can't throw them the ball, or
they're getting backed down into the post, you've got a problem,&quot; said
Calhoun of his starting big men. &quot;That was our game plan. And that
didn't work out very well for us.&quot;
</p>
<p>
Cincinnati's undergone quite
the transformation in winning ten of eleven games since the blowout loss
and brawl at Xavier, and not just in regards to their style of play.
While guards such as Kilpatrick, Dixon and Cashmere Wright have more
leeway to make plays offensively, the Bearcats are a more unified team
as well. Yancy Gates (13 points, 12 rebounds) has accepted his new role
and has been productive in it, and that's one more reason why Cincinnati
is currently the answer to the trendy &quot;who's the second-best team in
the Big East&quot; question.
</p>
<p>
Of course with games against West
Virginia and Syracuse next on the schedule the Bearcats stand the chance
of losing, but that shouldn't nullify the potential shown at Gampel
Pavilion. Cincinnati believes is Coach Cronin's plan, and just as
importantly they believe in each other. And that's an attitude that
wasn't always on display on the court, making the Bearcats all the more
dangerous throughout the remainder of the regular season and even into
the postseason.
</p>
<p>
&quot;Coming into Gampel and getting a win is huge.
Obviously, they have a great team and arguably the best coach in college
basketball,&quot; said Cronin. &quot;It's a big win for us but you've got to win
these kinds of games if you're going to compete for the Big East
championship.&quot;
</p>
<p>
<i>Other Notable Happenings </i>
</p>
<p>
<b>1. Indiana takes their foot off the gas and ends up losing their third straight game. </b><br />
With 7:06 remaining Tom Crean's Hoosiers led Nebraska 60-49 and looked
to be well on their way to leaving Lincoln with a win to snap their
two-game losing streak. But Indiana played the game as if it were over
from that point forward, and they paid dearly as Nebraska scored 21 of
the game's final 30 points to win 70-69. Jorge Brian Diaz's two free
throws with 11 seconds remaining gave Nebraska their first lead of the
game at just the right time, completing a rally that happened despite
shooting just 34.4% from the field in the second half. Nebraska scored
16 points off of 15 Indiana turnovers while also limiting the Hoosiers
to just two second-chance points on the night.
</p>
<p>
And the Huskers
also did a good job of keeping Christian Watford (eight points, ten
rebounds) and Victor Oladipo (five points, four assists) quiet.
Watford's play is one example of what's plagued the Hoosiers during this
current stretch, as they haven't played consistently at the level that
made wins over Kentucky and Ohio State possible. That's the next step
Indiana needs to take in their climb back, and they've found out the
last three games that the return to prominence is just as much about the
&quot;routine&quot; victories as it is the headline-grabbing results.
</p>
<p>
<b>2. San Diego State remains composed and ends up winning at New Mexico as a result. </b><br />
Down 10-0 in one of the nation's toughest environments would be a
convenient reason for many teams to simply lie down and take their
beating. That wasn't the case for Steve Fisher's Aztecs, who got back
into the game by going on a 12-2 run and eventually beat New Mexico
75-70 in front of a stunned crowd at The Pit. Xavier Thames led the way
with 22 points and four assists for SDSU, who is tied for first place in
the Mountain West with Colorado State as a result of the win, and the
limited the Lobos to 39.1% shooting on the night. How'd SDSU do it
defensively? They kept New Mexico off the foul line (3-7 FT), and while
scoring 55.7% of your points from beyond the arc would be good for most
teams that wasn't necessarily the case for the home team.
</p>
<p>
Phillip
McDonald scored 20 points (6-9 3PT), Kendall Williams 16 and Drew
Gordon 15 to lead New Mexico, but their inability to get inside of the
three-point line resulted many times in them having to fire away from
deep. And while they entered the game having scored 32% of their points
from deep, New Mexico also scored 22% of their points from the foul
line. San Diego State was the team that stayed with their game plan and
as a result they're the ones who remained atop the Mountain West at the
end of the night.
</p>
<p>
<b>3. Creighton and Wichita State both win, giving the MVC race even more clarity. </b><br />
Entering Wednesday's action the Bluejays and Shockers were tied atop the
Missouri Valley standings with 6-1 records, holding a two-game lead on
Missouri State and Drake. Thanks to wins by both (Creighton over
Missouri State and Wichita State over Northern Iowa) there's even more
clarity with regards to the MVC race, with Drake being the lone team
within two games of first place. In Wichita State's 71-68 win at UNI
Toure Murry scored a game-high 24 points and Garrett Stutz once again
came up big on the road with 17 and nine rebounds (Stutz entered the
game averaging 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in five road games). Another
reason why the Shockers won was the foul line, where they made 20 of 24
attempts.
</p>
<p>
As for Creighton life on the road was difficult but
just like Wichita State it was rewarding as well, as two Missouri State
misses in the final ten seconds locked up the 66-65 victory. Gregory
Echenique bounced back from a poor performance in the first meeting to
score 16 points and grab seven rebounds while Doug McDermott added 15
and six, and Grant Gibbs and Antoine Young scored nine points apiece.
Creighton turned the ball over 14 times to just three for Missouri
State, but the Bluejays made up for that by limiting the Bears to 39.1%
shooting. Kyle Weems finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, making
just five of sixteen shots against a team he lit up for 31 and seven in
the first meeting. To ensure multiple NCAA bids come March the Valley
likely needs a team or two to separate from the pack, and that's a step
both Creighton and Wichita State have taken. <br />
</p>
<p>
<i>Quick Hitters</i>
</p>
<p>
1. While their win over Duquesne on Saturday was a sign that <b>Xavier</b>
was regaining their flow, the Musketeers likely needed to do that
against an Atlantic 10 contender to show the rest of the league they
remained the top dog. It's safe to say that Chris Mack's team did so in a
68-55 win over Saint Joseph's, limiting the Hawks to 16 second-half
points. Tu Holloway scored just six points but dished out 12 assists and
Mark Lyons led four Musketeers in double figures with 17 points.
</p>
<p>
2. Despite 16 turnovers <b>Villanova</b>
picked up their second Big East victory as they beat Seton Hall 84-76
at The Pavilion. The Wildcats were a plus-9 (45-36) on the boards and
JayVaughn Pinkston put together the best game of his young career with
23 points and 11 rebounds. If Jay Wright's team is to make a run towards
the middle of the Big East they need another consistent option to go
along with Maalik Wayns (25 points, seven assists).
</p>
<p>
3. Zach Filzen led four players in double figures with 21 points as <b>Buffalo</b>
handed Akron their first MAC loss by the final score of 82-70. Buffalo
assisted on 23 of their 29 field goals and the Zips turned the ball over
18 times in defeat. The Bulls' win pulls Akron (3-1) closer to the
pack, with the five teams below them in the MAC East all with 2-2 league
records.
</p>
<p>
4. <b>UCF</b> made history and to a certain extent
the Knights have the official who felt that NBA-style continuation was a
part of college basketball to thank for it. Keith Clanton's three-point
play gave UCF the 68-67 win over Memphis, their first-ever win over the
Tigers. Clanton scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Marcus
Jordan added 20, while Will Barton led Memphis with 24 and eight
boards.
</p>
<p>
5. Scott Christopherson's banked-in three as time expired gave <b>Iowa State</b>
a 71-68 win over Oklahoma State in a game the Cyclones trailed by three
with 15 seconds remaining. In addition to Christopherson, Royce White
and Tyrus McGee scored 17 points apiece as Fred Hoiberg's team stayed on
track for an NCAA Tournament appearance.
</p>
<p>
6. <b>California</b>
announced on Wednesday afternoon that sophomore forward Richard Solomon
would be academically ineligible for the remainder of the season.
Solomon averaged 6.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Golden
Bears, who visit the Washington schools this weekend and are tied atop
the Pac-12 standings with Stanford. David Kravish stands to see an
increase in minutes as a result, and the Bears also need to hope that
starting forward Harper Kamp remains healthy.
</p>
<p>
7. <b>Murray State</b>
had their hands full with bitter rival Morehead State for much of the
night but Isaiah Canaan and company did enough to win 66-60 and move to
19-0 on the season. Canaan and Donte Poole combined to score 35 points
for the Racers, who moved to 7-0 in the OVC and remain a game ahead of
Southeast Missouri State in the loss column. Those two meet for the
first time this season on February 2nd in Murray.
</p>
<p>
8. After playing to a 30-30 tie at the half the difference between <b>West Virginia</b>
and Marshall was more than apparent in the second half as the
Mountaineers pulled away to win 78-62. Kevin Jones (25 points, seven
rebounds) and Truck Bryant (22 points) led the way for WVU, who avenged
last season's loss to the Thundering Herd. WVU made 17 of 22 free throws
while Marshall finished the night 3-for-6.
</p>
<p>
9. Also in the Atlantic 10, <b>Temple</b> made up for 15 turnovers by shooting 51.9% from the field in their 75-70 win over La Salle. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds, taking advantage of the Owls' size advantage inside against the smaller Explorers.
</p>
<p>
<i>Three Notable Performances </i>
</p>
<p>
<b>1. G/F Colt Ryan (Evansville)</b><br />
39 points (8-14 3PT), nine rebounds and three assists in the Purple Aces' 90-67 win over Bradley.
</p>
<p>
<b>2. G Rodney McGruder (Kansas State)</b><br />
33 points (11-16 FG) and eight rebounds in the Wildcats' 84-80 win over Texas.
</p>
<b>3. G Anthony Marshall (UNLV)</b><br />
27 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the Runnin' Rebels' 101-78 win over TCU.
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/wednesday-recap-kilpatrick-lifts-cincinnati-past-uconn-169588#commentsBig EastBuffaloCaliforniaCentral FloridaCincinnatiCreightonGame RecapsIndianaIowa StMurray StNebraskaNew MexicoSan Diego StTempleUCONNVillanovaWest VirginiaWichita StateXavieryour commentaryThu, 19 Jan 2012 01:31:30 -0800Raphielle Johnson169588 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comMAC Quaterfinals Recap: Favorites Fall & Double-OThttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-quaterfinals-recap-favorites-fall-double-ot-168386
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">B<i>rendan Bowers will be in Cleveland all week covering
the MAC Tournament for CollegeHoops.net.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Upset of the Day:&nbsp; Ohio Bobcats beat Kent State 81 – 64</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In my preview I predicted that regular season champion Kent
State would ‘have no trouble with this Bobcat group’ in their opening round
match-up.&nbsp;&nbsp; No sooner did I post that then did a friend of mine - an OU grad -
text me the following:&nbsp; ‘Bowers, the odds of Kent beating OU by more than 5 are
slim.&nbsp; Honestly, the Bobcats are very dangerous and I think they will win.’&nbsp;
Turns out, Kent did have a lot of trouble with this Bobcat group, and OU did
win.&nbsp; The results of which were my feasting on crow throughout his numerous text
messages during the latter stages of the game.&nbsp; And by a lot of trouble, I mean
Kent got steam-rolled.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Armon Bassett dominated the game by way of a stat line that
read 38 points and 5 rebounds as he led his OU squad to the improbable upset
over the top-seeded team in the tournament – their first win in three tries
against Kent this season.&nbsp; He had help too.&nbsp; Teammate DeVaughn Washington came
off the bench to capitalize on the space being created by the attention paid to
Bassett on the offensive end, and he went 8 for 8 from the field on his way to
19 points and 8 rebounds.&nbsp; With 5:26 left in the first half he caught a pass
from Bassett and dunked it home to give OU a commanding 32-15 lead.&nbsp; From there
- despite a 22-9 run by the Flashes to open the second half that cut the lead to
3 (49-46) – the Bobcats would play Kent even, and win the game by that same
17-point margin (81-64).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kent State’s Chris Singletary led the Golden Flashes with
19 points, but struggled from the free throw line, and ended up fouling out with
2:52 left in regulation as his team trailed 70-60.&nbsp; Anthony Simpson scored 12
points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Kent as well, but it wasn’t enough as their
dreams of an NCAA berth ended two days before the conference title game.&nbsp; Kent
fell to 23-9 on the season, and will be forced to settle with a berth in the
NIT.&nbsp; The Bobcats moved to 19-14 with the win, and will face Miami tomorrow in
the semis.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>OU’s Armon Bassett on his production offensively:&nbsp; “</i></b><i>They
[Kent State] really like to get up in you and pressure you defensively and that
plays into my game.&nbsp; &nbsp;I like penetrating, and I was able to get by them and
really get going tonight.”</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Game of the Day:&nbsp; Akron beats Eastern Michigan in Double
OT 97-89</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With 6:41 left in regulation Akron’s Chris McKnight hit a
three to put Akron up by 10 (61-51) over Eastern Michigan.&nbsp; Five and a half
minutes later, EMU’s Carlos Medlock connected on a three of his own which capped
a run by the Eagles that brought them all the way back and gave them a lead of
71-69.&nbsp; From there, madness ensued, as if it wasn’t crazy enough already.&nbsp;
Chris’ brother, Brett McKnight, converted a lay-up for Akron with 31 seconds
left in the second half to tie it at 71, and the Zips would get one last stop as
regulation expired to force OT.&nbsp; But it wouldn’t stop there.&nbsp; </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first OT looked like it would end by way of an upset
after EMU’s Jay Higgins converted a triple try with 8 seconds left to give his
team a lead by as many points.&nbsp; With one tick remaining however, Akron’s Steve
McNees would express his own desire to play one more session.&nbsp; With no timeouts,
and his team trailing by three, he pulled up on an off-balanced three with two
defenders on him while drifting to his left…and he nailed it.&nbsp; You can call it
the shot of his life, and they played another overtime.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This time, in the second OT, the Eagles just ran out of
gas.&nbsp; Akron would get up by as many as 10 before eventually hanging on to an 8
point win.&nbsp; The loss should do nothing to diminish the effort by Eastern
Michigan’s Carlos Medlock however, who was flat-out amazing.&nbsp; If a player ever
has a chance to win the MVP of the tournament despite his team losing in the
quarterfinals its Medlock.&nbsp; He played all but two minutes of the entire game –
48 total minutes – and he scored 41 points while grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing
out 3 assists in his final game as senior.&nbsp;&nbsp; He defined the often used cliché of
leaving it all on the floor, and his epic effort was not lost on those in
attendance.&nbsp; Teammate Brandon Bowdery kicked in 21 points and 14 rebounds as EMU
closed out their season with a record of 17-15.&nbsp; Akron moved to 23-9 with the
97-89 victory, and was paced by McNees’ 18.&nbsp; Anthony “Humpty” Hitchens also
scored 16 for the Zips, as they now appear the clear-cut favorite to win it with
Kent State out of the way.&nbsp; They’ll face Western Michigan tomorrow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Akron’s Steve McNees on his thoughts leading up to
his OT three:&nbsp; </i></b><i>“The first thing I thought was I was pretty
disappointed he [ Higgins ] made his.&nbsp; I knew I had to get it [my shot] up
quick, we had no timeouts. &nbsp;&nbsp;I like shooting it going to my left, so I just
tried to go that way and get it up.” </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Recap:&nbsp; Western Michigan 69 – Central Michigan 60 </b>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Central Michigan was the two-seed as the MAC quarterfinals
tipped off this afternoon, and for the first half they played like it against
the 7<sup>th</sup> seeded Chippewas.&nbsp; They held conference POY David Kool to 2
points on 0-4 shooting from the field during the first half, and at halftime,
CMU led 31-22.&nbsp; They led by as many as 11 in the first half, and with 13:42 left
in the second half they would lead by as many as 14 after Amid Rashid (14
points) hit a jumper to make the score 49-35.&nbsp; From that point on though,
Western Michigan’s Kool played the way his name would describe, and when he hit
a jumper with 4:44 in the game he’d tie the score at 54 apiece.&nbsp; Kool would then
captain a 15-6 charge to close it out, and finish with 26 points on 7 of 15
shooting en-route to a nine point victory.&nbsp; Kool also had 4 rebounds and 3
assists for the game while scoring 24 points in the second half, and teammate
Flenard Whitfield had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds as well.&nbsp;
CMU was paced by Robbie Harman who scored 20 on 7 of 17 shooting from the field,
and Jordan Bitzer kicked in 15 points and 4 rebounds as well in defeat.&nbsp; Western
Michigan will play Akron in the semis on Friday.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Recap:&nbsp; Miami 73 – Buffalo 59</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sitting behind a contingent of Buffalo fans I never
realized – until midway through the second half – just how catchy the phrase
‘let’s go Buffalo’ really is.&nbsp; Say it a couple times to yourself, its catchy,
trust me.&nbsp; Nevertheless, despite the urgings from the Buffalo faithful, the
Bulls wouldn’t have enough tonight in the last of four quarterfinal games at the
Q.&nbsp; Miami led by 11 at halftime (32-21), and never allowed the Bulls to get
anything going.&nbsp; Leading scorer Rodney Pierce was held to 2 of 8 from the field
in the first half, and finished with 12.&nbsp; On the flip-side, Charlie Coles’
Redhawks squad was paced by fellow first- team all MAC selection - Kenny Hayes –
who scored 27 and did just about anything he wanted to all night.&nbsp; Miami
stretched the lead out to 11 (68-57) with two minutes to go, and the game was
never as close as I thought it’d be.&nbsp; Julian Mavunga finished with 14, and
Cleveland native Nick Winbush finished with 11, as Miami now readies themselves
for a match-up with OU in the semis.&nbsp; </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<b>Friday’s Semi-Finals Match-Ups:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Akron vs. Western Michigan&nbsp; <i>(Prediction:&nbsp; Akron)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ohio vs. Miami&nbsp; <i>(Prediction:&nbsp; Ohio)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>My prediction record in the tournament thus far is 2-2.&nbsp;
I’ll keep you posted going forward.&nbsp; For in-game updates tomorrow during the
semis, follow <a href="http://twitter.com/stepienrules">Twitter @StepienRules</a>.</i></p>
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-quaterfinals-recap-favorites-fall-double-ot-168386#commentsAkronBuffaloCentral MichiganEastern MichiganKent StMACMiami OHOhioWestern MichiganConference TournamentsFri, 12 Mar 2010 01:15:19 -0800Brendan Bowers168386 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comMAC Tournament: Game by Game Previewhttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-tournament-game-game-preview-168354
<p>
&nbsp;
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left">
B<i>rendan Bowers will be in Cleveland all
week covering the MAC Tournament for CollegeHoops.net.</i>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
The quarterfinals of the Mid American Conference tournament
are set to tip-off at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday, and the 8-team field is
set. A profile of those participating in the playoff that will inevitably send
one team to the largest of all collegiate dances is below. My initial thoughts
and predictions on the tournament are included as well, however, as my
credentialed coverage of the games get underway this weekend, I do reserve the
right to change my predictions in accordance with the actual outcomes.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
That said, the teams, conference records, and profiles –
in order of match-ups / game times – are below:
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>#7 Western Michigan (8-8) vs. #2<i> </i>Central
Michigan (9-7) - 12 pm on Thursday</b>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Western Michigan:</b> The Broncos are led by Senior,
and Conference POY, David Kool who led the MAC in scoring with 22 ppg. He also
had four games of 30 or more, and is currently the leading scorer in school
history…so he’s good. Martelle McLemore and Flenard Whitfield also average
double figures in scoring at 11.7 and 10.2 per game respectively and Donald
Lawson leads the team on the glass (7.2 rpg). Western ended their season
winning three of their last four while playing some of their best basketball of
the season at just the right time.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Central Michigan: </b> The Chippewas, winners of the MAC
West Division, are paced by senior guard Robbie Harman who’s definitely a guy
that needs to be paid attention to on the perimeter. Harman has hit an average
of 3.5 three-pointers per game this season, totaling 101 on the year. His 17.8
ppg lead CMU, and his backcourt mate Jordan Bitzer comes in averaging 15 points
and 5 rebounds per game in conference as well. But while the MAC West title is
certainly an accomplishment, it’s worth noting that CMU’s 9-7 mark would have
been good enough to tie them for third with two other teams out East.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prediction:</b> If an 8-8 team beating a 9-7 one isn’t
exactly worthy of an upset nod, a seven seed beating a two during the opening
round of a tournament would be. So call it a big upset …I guess… as Western
Michigan moves on past Central behind a big night from Kool.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>#6 Eastern Michigan (8-8) vs. #3 Akron (12-4) - 2pm on
Thursday</b>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Eastern Michigan:</b> Senior Guard Carlos Medlock was
amongst those receiving votes for the conference POY award this season, and his
16 points per game total only one more (500 total points) than the 499 scored by
teammate Brandon Bowdry who also averages 16 per. Bowdry also leads the team
in rebounds at 10 per game, and those two guys were the main reasons why EMU had
a look at the MAC West title down the stretch, as their Eagles narrowly lost out
by one game.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Akron:</b> Senior Forward Jimmy Conyers was named the
MAC’s Defensive POY and offensively, there’s a lot of different ways these Zips
can beat you. Three guys - Chris McNight, Brett McNight, and Jimmy Conyers -
average between 10 and 12 points respectively in conference, with Conyers
leading the way at 12. All three though, including Anthony Hitchens and Steve
McNees, are capable of having a big night for Coach Dambrot’s club at any
time. Conyers also leads the way on the glass, averaging 7 per game, and don’t
be surprised if the Zips find a way to win this whole thing, and punch their
ticket.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prediction:</b> Some people said that the loser of last
week’s Akron – Kent State game would actually put themselves in a better
position for this tournament with respect to the quarterfinal and semi-final
match-ups, and for the second time this season, Akron did lose to Kent. Not
saying seeding’s the reason why, but the Zips certainly don’t find themselves in
all that bad of a spot as a result. Look for Akron to take care of Eastern
Michigan in this one, and move on to Friday.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>#9 Ohio (7-9) vs. #1 Kent State (13-3) - 7pm on Thursday</b>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ohio:</b> Bobcat Guard DJ Cooper was named Freshman of
the Year for the regular season by way of 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per
game. It would be through his youthful direction that the Bobcats will look to
follow their opening round win with a ‘biggest in school history type upset’ of
the Golden Flashes on Thursday. Armon Basset (15.5 ppg) and Steve Coleman
(11.3) will be critical as well if the lowest seeded team in the field has a
shot to up-stage the highest.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Kent State:</b> Golden Flashes Coach Geno Ford earned
COY honors and Chris Singletary (11.7 ppg) was edged out in the POY race by 7
votes. Teammate Justin Greene (13.9 ppg) finished third in that same balloting,
and those two make up four of the KSU starters that average between 10 and 14
points per game. Rodriguez Sherman and Tyree Evans round out that group with 10
points apiece per game. Anthony Simpson was the 6<sup>th</sup> MOY, and on
paper this squad should have been the regular season champs that they were.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prediction:</b> Kent Coach Geno Ford will match-up
against his alma mater in his opening round attempt towards adding a tournament
title to the 4<sup>th</sup> regular season crown in school history they earned
this season. His Flashes should have no trouble with this Bobcat group he once
ran the point for, and Kent will cruise here in probably the most lopsided game
of the tournament.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>#5 Buffalo (9-7) vs. #4 Miami (9-7) - 9pm on Thursday</b>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b> Buffalo:</b> Senior guard Rodney Pierce leads the
charge for Buffalo and his Bulls will go as far as his 18 points per game
scoring can take them. He’ll be aided in his efforts by teammate Calvin Betts
who’s scoring and rebounding at rates of 11 and 7 per night. This team was
18-11 overall, and their conference mark would have won the division had they
been out West. Not a team to sleep on to be sure.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Miami: </b>Despite a losing record overall (13-17), the
Redhawks turned in solid conference effort to earn the four seed in this
tournament. They’re paced by Kenny Hayes at over 14 points and 3 assists per
contest and Julian Mavunga also boast a double digit average with 10. Junior
Guard Nick Winbush (9.8 ppg) will return home to Cleveland for this one, where
he was a two-time All Ohio Selection during his prep career at Shaker Heights.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prediction:</b> As much as I’m thinking to say that
Charlie Coles’ club edges out Buffalo in a tight one, I’m picking the Bulls to
advance. Rodney Pierce will prove to be too much as the Bulls get the win, and
a shot at Kent State next time out.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<b>Overall Tournament Predictions:</b>
</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in">
<span style="font-family: Symbol">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span>Sleeper Team: Western Michigan
</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in">
<span style="font-family: Symbol">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span>Finals Match-Up: Kent State vs. Akron
</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in">
<span style="font-family: Symbol">·<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span>Tournament Champs: Akron
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<i>Look for more blogs, sound bites, recaps, and
predictions on all MAC tournament action right here as the games get underway on
Thursday. For the latest also feel free to follow me on
<a href="http://twitter.com/stepienrules">Twitter @StepienRules</a>… I promise
I’ll follow you back</i>.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
&nbsp;
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
&nbsp;
</p>
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-tournament-game-game-preview-168354#commentsAkronBuffaloCentral MichiganEastern MichiganKent StMACMiami OHOhioWestern MichiganConference TournamentsWed, 10 Mar 2010 08:11:34 -0800Brendan Bowers168354 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comMAC Basketball Preview: 2009-10http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-basketball-preview-2009-10-167633
</p>
<center>
<p><font face="Arial">&nbsp; Akron is the favorite after winning 23 games last
year,&nbsp; but just about everyone in the dominant East Division has a chance
to make some noise.</font></p>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="550" border="0" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center"><b>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/conferences/mac">
<img border="0" src="sites/collegehoopsnet.com.new/files/imagecache/thumbnail/category_pictures/mac.jpg" width="50" height="50"></a></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center"><b>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Conference Rank: 17th</span></b>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center">
<span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Arial;">10 year average: 13th</span>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/conferences/mac">MAC C</a></span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><a href="conferences/mac">onference
Page</a></span></b> </td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>&nbsp;</b> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>&nbsp;</b> </p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="390" bgcolor="#000000" border="0" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td colspan="4" width="390" bgcolor="#800000">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">&nbsp;</span><b><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">All-MAC
Team</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="51">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>
<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Pos.</span></b> </td>
<td width="151">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>
<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Player</span></b> </td>
<td width="107">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>
<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Team</span></b> </td>
<td width="81">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>
<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Yr.</span></b> </td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 394;" border="0" cellspacing="0" height="34">
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 38pt;" width="50">
<col style="width: 114pt;" width="152">
<col style="width: 52pt;" width="69">
<col style="width: 57pt;" width="76">
</colgroup>
<tr>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 13px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="45">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>G </b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="136" height="13">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Rodney Pierce</b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="113" height="13">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Buffalo </b> </td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="64" height="13">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Sr </b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="45">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>G </b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="136" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Darion Anderson</b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="113" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Northern Illinois</b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="64" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Jr </b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 13px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="45">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>G/F </b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="136" height="13">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>David Kool </b> </td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="113" height="13">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Western Mich. </b>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="64" height="13">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Jr </b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="45">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>F </b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="136" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Brandon Bowdry </b>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="113" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Eastern Mich. </b> </td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="64" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Jr </b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="45">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>F </b></td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="136" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Jarrod Jones </b>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="113" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>Ball State </b> </td>
<td style="border: medium none ; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="64" height="1">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>So </b> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" colspan="2" width="170" bgcolor="#808080">
&nbsp;</td>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" colspan="2" width="180" bgcolor="#808080">
&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" colspan="4" width="350" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><b>Player
of the Year </b>- Rodney Pierce</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" colspan="2" width="175" bgcolor="#808080">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>&nbsp;CHN Award Winners</b></span>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" colspan="2" width="175" bgcolor="#808080">
<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>Leaders</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" colspan="2" width="175">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/college-basketball-preseason-mid-major-all-americans-167535">Mid-Major All-Americans</a></b> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">Darion Anderson</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">Rodney Pierce</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp; </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp; </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp; </td>
<td style="border: medium none ; height: 1px; text-align: left; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" colspan="2" width="175">
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: bottom"><b>Best Scorer</b></span><b><span style="vertical-align: bottom;">:</span></b> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">David Kool</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp; </p>
<b>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: bottom;">Best Rebounder:</span> </p>
</b>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: bottom">Brandon Bowdry</span> </p>
<b>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">&nbsp; </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: bottom">Best Passer</span><span style="vertical-align: bottom;">:</span> </p>
</b>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="vertical-align: bottom">Joe Jakubowski</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center"><b>&nbsp;</b> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>&nbsp;</b> </p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="390" bgcolor="#000000" border="0" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 13pt;">MAC</span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Standings</span></b></td>
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<tr>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>
<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Nat'l</span></b> </td>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<b>Team</b></span> </td>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
League</span></b> </td>
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<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><b>
<span style="font-size: x-small; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Tourney</span></b> </td>
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<col width="150" style="width: 113pt">
<col width="64" style="width: 48pt">
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<col width="73" style="width: 55pt">
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68</td>
<td width="150" style="width: 113pt; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/akron-basketball-preview-68-167163">
Akron</a></td>
<td width="64" style="width: 48pt; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
MAC</td>
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1</td>
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NCAA</td>
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82</td>
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<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/buffalo-basketball-preview-82-167136">
Buffalo</a></td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
2</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
NIT</td>
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104</td>
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<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/kent-state-basketball-preview-104-167089">
Kent State</a></td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
3</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
CBI/CIT</td>
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128</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/2009-10-bowling-green-basketball-preview-128-167035">
Bowling Green</a></td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
4</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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184</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
Ohio</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
5</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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199</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
Miami (OH)</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
6</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt; text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
232</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
Central Michigan</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
7</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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266</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
Ball State</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
8</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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289</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
Northern Illinois</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
9</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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311</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
Eastern Michigan</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
10</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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318</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
Western Michigan</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
11</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
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341</td>
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Toledo</td>
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MAC</td>
<td style="text-align: center; color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">
12</td>
<td style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Arial; text-align: general; vertical-align: bottom; white-space: nowrap; border: medium none; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center"><b>
<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial;">*Click on links for full
Top 144 team preview</span></b> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center">&nbsp; </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center"><b>
<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: 700; font-family: Arial;">Poll:
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/poll-who-will-win-mac-167300">Who Do You Think Will Win the MAC?</a></span></b> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center"><b>&nbsp;</b>
</p>
<div align="center">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;" width="100%" bgcolor="#c0c0c0" border="3" bordercolor="#999966" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" height="27">
<tr>
<td width="100%" height="18">
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;" align="left"><b>
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">
College Basketball Preview</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">
- <a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/2009/">
<span style="color: #333300">348 Team Ranking</span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0); font-size: 11pt;">
- </span></span><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
<font color="#333300">
<a href="http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/2009/alphabet.htm">
<font color="#333300">Alphabetical Ranks/Previews</font></a></font></span></font></b>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt" align="left">&nbsp;</p>
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-basketball-preview-2009-10-167633#commentsAkronBall StateBowling GreenBuffaloCentral MichiganConference by ConferenceEastern MichiganKent StMACMiami OHNorthern IllinoisOhioToledoWestern Michigan2012-13 PreviewTue, 17 Nov 2009 12:33:55 -0800CHN167633 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comBowling Green/Buffalo Football Previewhttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/bowling-greenbuffalo-football-preview-167458
<p>Two of the best offenses in the Mid-American Conference will be on display tonight (8 PM on ESPN2) when the Bowling Green Falcons (3-5, 2-2) visit the Buffalo Bulls (3-5, 1-3) in a game that doesn't have as much riding on it as anticipated when the season began. Buffalo lost starting RB James Starks before the season began and his absence has had an effect despite Turner Gill's team having the conference's second-best offense. Turnovers have been a problem for the Bulls, who rank eleventh out of thirteen teams in turnover margin. The key for the Bowling Green defense will be to pressure QB Zach Maynard, foricing him to make bad decisions. </p>
<p>But the best player on the field tonight will be wearing the road whites. WR Freddie Barnes has 99 receptions through eight games and leads the nation in receptions (12.38) and yards per game (131.75), and going up against a pass defense that ranks seventh in the conference there should be opportunities for Barnes to go to work. QB Tyler Sheehan leads the conference in total offense and passing yards per game, another example of the effect that first-year head coach Dave Clawson has had on the Bowling Green attack. </p>
<p>One key to watch is how well the Falcons do in the red zone. They've converted just 68% of their red-zone opportunities, ranking eleventh in the conference in that category. Buffalo is eleventh in the MAC in red-zone defense so there will likely be opportunities on both sides to make plays. It will be fun to watch receivers Barnes and Buffalo's Naaman Roosevelt go to work in this one; Bowling Green wins it with a late field goal. </p>
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/bowling-greenbuffalo-football-preview-167458#commentsBowling GreenBuffaloCollege FootballTue, 03 Nov 2009 07:37:40 -0800Raphielle Johnson167458 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.comMAC Preseason Poll & Awardshttp://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-preseason-poll-awards-167387
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CLEVELAND - Akron was predicted to finish first in the Mid-American Conference East Division in a poll of the league's media, the conference office announced on Oct 28. <br />
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Central Michigan was predicted to win the West Division, amassing 113 points and 10 first-place votes. Northern Illinois was picked to finish second with 102 points, while Eastern Michigan was forecast to finish third with 94 points. Ball State, Western Michigan and Toledo were picked to finish fourth, fifth and sixth in the West Division, respectively.<br />
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Five schools earned votes to win the MAC Tournament with Akron being the favorite with 19 votes. Buffalo received two votes, while Northern Illinois, Kent State and Bowling Green each received one.
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MAC East Division Preseason Media Poll</b><br />
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1. Akron – 190 points (19)<br />
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2. Kent State – 108 points (3)<br />
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3. Buffalo – 97 points (1)<br />
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4. Miami – 78 points<br />
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5. Bowling Green – 54 points (1)<br />
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6. Ohio – 32 points<br />
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MAC West Division Preseason Media Poll</b><br />
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1. Central Michigan – 113 points (10)<br />
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2. Northern Illinois – 102 points (4)<br />
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3. Eastern Michigan – 94 points (3)<br />
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4. Ball State – 87 points (3)<br />
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5. Western Michigan – 79 points (4)<br />
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6. Toledo – 29 points<br />
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(1st place votes in parentheses)<br />
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Tournament Winner:</b> Akron (19), Buffalo (2), Northern Illinois (1), Kent State (1), Bowling Green (1)<br />
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<b>East Division All-MAC Preseason Team</b><br />
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Kenny Hayes, G, Miami<br />
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Brett McKnight, F, Akron<br />
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Rodney Pierce, G, Buffalo<br />
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Chris Singletary, G, Kent State<br />
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Anthony “Humpty” Hitches, G, Akron<br />
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West Division All-MAC Preseason Team</b><br />
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David Kool, G, Western Michigan<br />
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Jarrod Jones, F/C, Ball State<br />
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Brandon Bowdry, F, Eastern Michigan<br />
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Darion “Jake” Anderson, G, Northern Illinois<br />
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Carlos Medlock, G, Eastern Michigan<br />
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http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/mac-preseason-poll-awards-167387#commentsAkronBall StateBowling GreenBuffaloCentral MichiganEastern MichiganKent StMACMiami OHNorthern IllinoisOhioPolls &amp; RankingsToledoWestern MichiganWed, 28 Oct 2009 09:54:36 -0700Press Release167387 at http://www.collegehoopsnet.com